Acid-concentrating chamber



Dec. 1s, 192s. 1,695,619

` O. C. TRAUTMANN ACID coNoENTRATNQ CHAMBER l Filed April 15', 1927 Vi zsheets-sneer 1V IN VEN TOR.

E Olio C. T razzimann Dec.v 18, 1928. I 1,695,619

- A o. c. TRAQTMANN i Acin CONCENTRATING CHAMBER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 0120 CTr'antmann.

Patented Dee. is, 1928.

uNrriazDvv STATES,

l 1,695,619 PATENT OFFICE.

o'rro c. TRAUTMANN, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

I ACID-CONCENTRATING ('JHIA'MBEIEL.`

Application, ined April 15,7192?. serial No. 184,066.

rlhis invention relates. to concentrating chambers and it particularlyrelates to such chambers in which acids may be concentrated at atemperature higher than that of the atmosphere.r The object of theinvention is to in view I, shall describe in the following aconcentrating'chamber as an example of how my invention can be carriedinto. effect, andA for the better understanding of the same reference ishad to the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 A is a. front elevation-oitl the whole chamber, a part ofthefront Wall, covering the inside parts, having been broken away so as todisclose these inside parts;

'fi o Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the heating 1chamber onthe line 2-.2 of Figure 1, parts of the sidewalls having lbeen .brokenaway to disclose the arrangement of the in- 'dividual concentratingchambers insi'd'efthe heating chamber., Figure 3 shows 'a unit onsingleindividual of the concentrating chambers which are assembled in astair-way fashion intoa continuous chain or system;

Figure 4 is a side elevation of a modification ofthe chamber illustratedby Figure 3. Fig. 5 shows an apparatus similar to that illustrated byFigui-e 1, but having another flue arrangement.

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view in line 6-6 of Figure 5 and Figure7 shows a partl of the lue arrangement applied in the constructionillustrated by Figure 5. Like numerals denote like parts throughout thedrawings. To carry my invention into effect I proceed as follows: f i

I provide a. flue or heating Achamber l() to arrange-therein thecontinuous chain or systcm formed by the concentrating chambers 11 (Fig.3). The flue 10 is arranged inv an inclined position, for instance in anangle of 45 towards the ground, and is supportedby a.

frame Work of iron or other suitable material (not shown?. The bottom 12of the flue 10, the front wa l 13 and the roof 14 are made of anysuitable material, such as bricks. plates of tire clay,.bricks ofsilica, or-asbestos, etc. The chambers 11 arev arranged above a tire box15 having at thetop a plate 16 with Wide perforations 17, andintermediate said top 16 and the floor 18, a bale plate 19 isarrangedslightly above the gas heating arrangement 20 and approximatelyequidistantly from the sidewalls 21 and 22 of the flue 10. An exit 23,provided .with adamper 24 for the heating gases .is provided in the roof14. The concentrating chamber 11 applied in the constructionof thecomplete arrangement is 'illustrated by Figure 3; the chamber consistsof the main tube or vessel 25 having ai perpendicularly depending spigot29, is also perpendicularly disposed towards the vessel 25, but isslightly ascending towards the spigot so as to be raised somewhat abovethe horizontal plane.. At the highest spot of this annex a tubulus 30with a bell 31 is arranged Jfor the escape of vapors from the chambers.Astothe chambers 11 I wish to say that they may have the neck 26 and theannex 28 with the spigot29 arranged at the opposite ends of the Vessel25.

I arrange such yconcentrating vessels 11, having theannex 28'alternately disposed-at opposite ends, Within the Hue 10 in such mannerthat I arrange a chamber 11, preferably' with its main'tube in ahorizontal position, near the bottom of the `flue4 10, said chamber .11having the annex disposed at the lefty side and arrange then above andparallel to it another chamber which has the annex at its 'r1ght.side,the spigot 29 of the same being inserted and made tight in the bell 27of the chamber 11 at the bottom. In such alternate way I arrange thenthe whole chain or sysem of chambers 11 until a sufficient number of.the same are provided in the flue 10. The vessels 25 are secured withinthe relatively thin side walls 21 and 22 and the neck 26 withbell 27 aswell as the annex 28 with spigot 29 of each of the chambers 11 arelocated outside of the same.

'be connected with any suitable means (not shown), such as an exhausteror the like, to create a partial vacuum for the purpose. of

sucking off the vapors generated b the heat applied to the concentratingcham er.

preheater 34 with a lip 35 and provided with a central admission pipe 36is arranged close by the flue. A connection pipe 37 is disposed with itsbell right below the lip'B and connected with its spigot to the bell ofthe uppermost concentration chamber 11. The .preheater is surrounded byheat insulating means, for instance the furnace 38 provided with asource of heat, for instance a gas burner 39; the waste gases areconducted off i by the connection 40 with the chimney (not shown). 4

Assuming that by way of example sulfuric acid be concentrated in thechamber, the operation of the same is carried out -follows:

The acid runs in a well regulated stream from a storage vessel (notshown) throughv its annex so that the acid is exposed for some thevessels '25 is concerned. y

ment forces the heating gases to play around time to the heat ineaehconcentrating chamber until it flows over in thenext lower chamber.It appears from Figure 2 that each vessel 25 is spaced apart from boththeupper and lower adjoining chamber' for the length of the annex 28 aswell as of the spigot 29 and that so an arrangement instairway fashionis brought about which is very important as far as the effect of theheat on the entire outside surface of the vessels 25 and 1f occasionally1n the various inclina- This arrangetions, in which the flue isdisposed, the heatingy gases should tend to strike more closely to thefront wall 13 than is desirable, the vessels 25 can be disposed nearerthe front wall 13 so as to narrow the path between the vessels 25 andsaid front wall 13 and to thus force the heating gases according to thelaw-of least resistance to ldistribute around the bottom of the vessel25. Owing to the great heating surface of the vessels 25 in relation tothe limited quantity'of acid and the stepwise travel of the acid fromone pool to the next one below the evaporating effect obtained is highlysatisfactory. Another factor, which helps to bring about this favorableeffect is the constant removal of the vapors generated in eachconcentrating chamber by causing them to escape through the branch pipes33 into the pipes 32 in which constantly a partial vacuum is maintainedand furthermore by lowering to some extent the boiling point of the acidto be treated.

The arrangement described above as an example of how mynew inventioncanV be carried' into effect,`is very suitable for the concentration ofsulfuric acid to the usual concentrations established in the trade, forin- `stance .for concentrating sulfuric acid from 50 to 660 B. v

I wish to saythat the arrangen'ient de being upwardly directed and thespigot veri tically depending for the reason thatoblique joints are notconvenient in practicalv Work.

In other words, the concentrating chambers illustrated by Figure 3 maybe substituted by any double bent tube having a longitudinal main partand having, if the entrance or neck should be upwardly directed, atleast the end of the spi ot disposed below the horizontal plane oftheowest point aforesaid longitudinal part and on one side of anddistantly apart from the vertical plane of v the longitudinal axis ofaforesaid part..

It isobvious that any form of an aperture V30, whenever it can b esuitably connected,

will serve thepur'poses of my invention. In.

case theannex is more or less merged in the spigot such an aperturecould be suitably arranged at the highest part ofthe spigot, forinstance4 near the oint with the aforesaid longitudinal part.

Aside from such changes in the form of the concentrating chambers 11further changes in the construction and arrangement of my new acidconcentrating chamber are still possible by changing the form andconstruction of the flue in which the single chambers are exposed to theheat. y

In the arrangement 'described above all the single concentratingchambers connected into a chain, are arranged in the sameflue commentoall so that they, owing to the buoyancy of the heating gases, arepractically exposed to almostv the same temperature throughout.-

This arrangement answers the purpose very well where great quantities ofwater have to be evaporated by a simple heating effect.A

However,in all such evaporation problems, where for the obtaining of thefinal product ultimately relatively small quantities of water, whichadhere tenaciously tothe acid,

have'to be evaporated at high temperature, I prefer to construct theacid concentrating Ilm and connected with each other in exactly the samemanner as described and illustrated above by Figures 1-2. The only, butconsiderable difference comes in by the constructionof the flue. Insteadof arranging the single chambers 11 all in one big, wide iiue, Isurround the horizontal'main part -25 ot' the chamber 11eachindividually 4by 'a hollow means for conducting the heating gases aroundit and lconnect such hollow means alternately by hollow connectingmembers so as to form a flue consisting of a pipe arranged in zigzagfashion and being besides disposed in 'an inclined position.

` In the arrangement illustrated by Figure 5 the main part-orhorizontally disposed tube of the lowest individual chamber 11 isencased inl a fire-box or housing 41,*spaced baille plate 42 a source ofheat, for instance through thev housing 41.

uper shell 45 and 46, respectively. In the headwallsthe flue 44 isprovided With thek apertures 47 and 48 of slightly larger diameter thanthat of the maintube 25 to bearranged in said apertures 47. and 48 inand between the shells 45 and 46. In -order to connect the muflle attheir alternate ends With' leach other, a certain aperture is providedin one of the side Walls near the marginaledge of the front head Walland one the top wall or roof near the front or rear hea-d Wall. Figure 7lllustrates such a'mullle and shows how for instance the second mutlle,counted frombelow, is connected with the housingI below and the mufllesurrounding the third individual chamber 11. The housing 41 is providedwith an exit 49 corresponding in size and shape to the inlet 50 ofthemuili'e 44. The size of this aperture, corresponding in shapeto thecross-section of the mutlie, is slightly larger than this Crosssectionandv tapers slightly inwardly. An aperture 51 of the same size and shapeis providedin't-he top or roof of the mufei44 near the head wall. 52denotes a tubular connection member having'the rims of its en'dsslightly tapering so as to fit snugly into such apertures as 49, 50 and51. Such a connection member 52 connects the housing 41 with themuflleabove by joining apertures 49 and' 50, and another joins theaperture 51 With the corresponding aperture 50 in the' next upper'mutlle53 which isex'actly the same exrear head Wall and that its aperture 51is located near the front head wall, Wherefrom it is obvious'tha't thespaced-relation of these apertures 50'an'd'51 alternately changes in theSame manner. This arrangement delscribed above and illustrated byFigures 5-7 is particularly effective in the concentration of sulfuricacid where 1t.1s necessary to de- 1 cept that its aperture is locatedclose to the privevalready highly concentrated sulfuric acid of its lasttraces of waterfor it is obvious that the highest concentrated acid issupplied with the greatest heat and that the temperature ofthe heatinggases decreases upwardly in the proportion as the content of waterincreases in the acid to finally have the lowest heat applied to theWeakest acid, therefore getting at any time and at any spot of theconcentrating system a rational evaporation, both the acid and the heatpassing each other in counter' current principle.

The device described aboveand illustrated by Figures 5-7 can be joinedto the preheater 34 in the same way as the device described -above andillustrated by Figures 1.4. However, inasmuch as in the arrangementillustrated by Figure 5 the h eatcan be better utilized and escapes atits vupper end 54 with considerably lower temperature, consequently withreduced buoyancy, the arrangement described above and illustrated byFigures 1-4 can be used as a preheater, substituting preheater 84because the gases of less buoyancy Will be well utilized ina big WideHue as 10. There may, however, be occasions Where an arrangement viceversa will be advisable. Theregul'ating or throttling-valve in the exit54 for the heating gases `are the same as those in Fig. 1. Finally Iwish to say that the preheater 34 may have any suitable form and thatth'e longitudinal part of the concentrating chamber may be given anyconvenient sha-pe; likewise the preheater as Well as the concentratingchamber may' lbe of the' same or 'of different material, for instancebesides any acid yresisting metal of fire clay'. porcelain,- andespecially of fused silica, of which I preferably make both thepreheateryand the single concentrating chambers.

Many changes arising from the varying shape 'ot' the singleconcentrating chambers andadapting the principle of atpplying thosechambers to the local needs are lett to the chemical engineer.

.' That I Claim is:

1. In. an-acid concentrating chamber'having a fire box with a source ofheat and an exit for ,the heating gases, provided with regulating means,the combination comprising an inclined flue, connecting said re box andexit, a plurality of concentrating4 chambers, havinghorizontallyextending tubular parts joined and arranged in s taiiwayfashion andhaving4 only said horizontal parts v of aforesaid horizontally disposedparts only .l

arranged in said flue so as to have the joints located outside of thesame, means tor preheating the acid, means connecting aforesaidprelieating arrangement with the uppermost concentrating chamber, and anaperture in each 'concentrating chamber for the` vexit for the heatinggases, provided with.

regulating means, the combination comprising a plurality ofIconcentrating chambers, having horizontally extending tubular partsjoined' and arranged in stair-way fashion, a tlue,connecting said tirebox and exit, having the horizontally extending parts only of saidchambers arranged therein, and means for removing the vapor trom eachindividual concentrating chamber. p

3. In an acid concentrating chamber having a lire box with a sourceo'fheat and an exit Jfor the heating gases provided with regulating means,the combination comprising a plurality of concentrating chambers, havinghorizontally extending tubular parts joined and arranged in stair-wayfashion, hollow means surrounding individually each of aforesaidhorizontally disposed parts and being spaced4 away from the same, hollowconnecting members cominunicatively Vconnecting theaoresaid hollow meansat alternately located ends with each other and with aforesaid fire-boxand with the exit for theI ing a tire box with a source of heat and anexit for the heating gases, provided with regulating means, thecombination comprising a plurality ot concentrating chambers, havinghorizontally extending tubular parts joined and arranged in stairwayfashion,v

hollow means surrounding individually each and being spaced away fromthe same, hollow connecting `memlrs communicatively connecting the'aforesaid, hollow means at,

alternately located ends with each other and with the aforesaid tire-boxand with the exit forthe gases so as to form a. continuous flue.

5. In an acid concentrating chamber anindividual concentrating chamberconsisting substantially of a double bent tube having a longitudinalpart, the exit ot which is disposed below the entrance ,sidewardly on adiagonally opposite side of the longitudinal part. l

' 6, In an acid concentrating chamber a concentrating chamber consistingsubstantially of a double bent tube having a longitudinal part andhaving its entrance in the form of a neck terminating ,into a bell andits exit in the form of a spigot, adapted to be made tight in a bell ota neclt disposed below on diagonally opposite sides of ,and sidewardlydistantly apart from the longitudinal part. 7. In an acid concentratingchamber an in dividual concentrating chamber consisting substantially`of a double bent tube having a longitudinal part and having its entrancein the form of a neck, terminating into a bell, axially disposed in thevertical plane ot the longitudinal axis of its longitudinal part, andits exitin the form of a spigot, adapted to be made tight in a bell of aneclg, sidewardly disposed belowA the horizontal part. l 8. In an acidconcentrating chamber an individual concentrating chamber consistingsubstantially of a double bent .tube having a longitudinal part andhaving its entrance in the'form lof a neck, terminating into a bell,axially disposed in the verticalplane of the longitudinal axis of itslongitudinal part and its exit in the form of an annex terminating intoa spigot depending therefronnthe end of the spigot being disposed belowthe horizontal plane of the lowest point of said longitu-dinal pait andon' one .side of and distantlyapart from aforesaid vertical plane.

9. In an acid concentrating chamber an individual concentrating chamberconsisting substantially of a double bent tube having a longitudinalpart and having its entrance in Athe form of a neck, terminatinginto abell,

axially disposed in the vertical plane of the longitudinal'axis of itslongitudinal part and its exit in the form of an annex terminating intoand ascending towards the spigot depending therefrom, the end oi' Athespigot being disposed below the horizontal plane oi' the lowest point ofsaid longitudinal part and on one side of and distantly apart fromaforesaid vertical plane.

` 10. In an acid concentrating chamber, a concentrating lchamberconsisting substantially of a double bent tube having a longitudinalpart, the exit ofwhich is disposed below the entrancesidewardly on adiagonally opposite side of the longitudinal part and has an aperture atits joint to said longitudinal part.

11. In an acid concentrating chamber an individual concentrating chamberconsisting substantially of a double bent tube having a longitudinalpart and having its entrance in the form of a neck terminating into abell and itsexit in the form of a spigot, adapted to be made tight in abell of a neck disposed \longitudinal axis of its longitudinal part andits exit in the form of a spigot, adapted to be made tight in a bell ofa neck, disposed below the horizontal plane of thelowest point ofl saidhorizontal )art and on one side of and' distantly apart from aforesaidvertical plane,

and having an aperture at the highest point of its spigot.

13. In an acidconcentrating chamber an individual concentrating chamber,consist-v` part and its exit in the form of an annexterminating into aspigot depending therefrom,

the end of the spigot being disposed below the horizontal plane ofthelowest point of said longitudinal part and on one side of and distantlyapart from aforesaid vertical plane, I

of its annex.

14. In an acid concentrating chamber an individual concentrating chamberconsisting substantially ofv a double bent tube having a longitudinalpart and having its entrance in the form of a neck, terminating into abell, axially disposed in the vertical plane of the longitudinal axis ofits longitudinal part and its exit in the form'of'an annex termina-tingvinto and ascending towards a spigot depending therefrom, the end of thespigot being disposed below the horizontal planeof the lowest point ofsaid longitudinal part and on one side of and distantly apart fromaforesaidvertical plane, and having an aperture at the highest pointofits annex.

In witness whereof I vhave hereunto set my name and'signature this 14thday of April,

' OTTO C. TRAUTMANN.

